Letter 69: 1. As time moves on, it continually confirms the opinion which I have long held of your holiness; or rather that opinion is strengthened by the daily course of events. Most men are indeed satisfied with observing, each one, what lies especially within his own province; not thus is it with you, but your anxiety for all the Churches is no less tha...

To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria The longer I know you, the more my respect for you grows — and events keep proving me right. Most bishops focus on their own diocese and call it a day. Not you. You care for every church as deeply as your own in Alexandria [the most important Christian see in Egypt, and one of the great centers of the ancient church]. You never stop — speaking, encouraging, writing, sending envoys wherever a crisis demands attention. Now you've sent brother Peter from your clergy, and I've welcomed him warmly. His mission — reconciling divided parties and building unity — is exactly right, and he's carrying it out just as you instructed. I want to contribute to this effort, and it seemed obvious to start with you, since you're the natural leader in all of this — both our advisor and our commander. So I'm sending you Dorotheus, a deacon from the church of Bishop Meletius [bishop of Antioch, leader of the orthodox party there, though his legitimacy was disputed]. He's a strong defender of orthodox teaching and deeply committed to peace among the churches. My hope is that with your guidance — and you're better positioned to give it than anyone, given your experience, your years, and the Spirit's help — he can make real progress toward our goals. I know you'll receive him kindly. Pray for him. Give him a letter of introduction for the road. Send some of your trusted people along with him. Help him on his way. I also think we should write to the Bishop of Rome [Damasus I, bishop of Rome 366–384]. We should ask him to look into the situation here. Since it's unlikely the Western churches will send a formal delegation by synodical decree, I'd suggest he use his own authority to handpick the right people — men who can handle the journey, who are both gentle and firm, who can deal with our troublemakers here. They should know the full history of what happened after Ariminum [the Council of Ariminum (Rimini) in 359, where Western bishops were pressured into signing a semi-Arian creed — a decision most of them later repudiated] and everything done since to undo that damage. Ideally, they'd travel here quietly by sea, without attracting attention — the enemies of peace don't need advance warning. One more thing. Some people here — and I agree with them — insist that we must also condemn the heresy of Marcellus [Marcellus of Ancyra, a bishop whose theology was the mirror-image of Arianism]. Up to now, in every letter, our Western brothers are perfectly willing to condemn Arius and ban him from the churches. But they say nothing about Marcellus — even though his error is just as dangerous, only in the opposite direction. Where Arius denied Christ's full divinity, Marcellus denied the Son's independent, eternal existence. He allowed that the Son could be called "the Word," but only as something that came forth from the Father when needed and then returned — with no existence before coming forth and no distinct reality [hypostasis: individual, concrete existence — a key term in Trinitarian theology] after returning. The writings I have in my possession show— [The letter breaks off here in the surviving text.]

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. 1. As time moves on, it continually confirms the opinion which I have long held of your holiness; or rather that opinion is strengthened by the daily course of events. Most men are indeed satisfied with observing, each one, what lies especially within his own province; not thus is it with you, but your anxiety for all the Churches is no less than that which you feel for the Church that has been especially entrusted to you by our common Lord; inasmuch as you leave no interval in speaking, exhorting, writing, and dispatching emissaries, who from time to time give the best advice in each emergency as it arises. Now, from the sacred ranks of your clergy, you have sent forth the venerable brother Peter, whom I have welcomed with great joy. I have also approved of the good object of his journey, which he manifests in accordance with the commands of your excellency, in effecting reconciliation where he finds opposition, and bringing about union instead of division. With the object of offering some contribution to the action which is being taken in this matter, I have thought that I could not make a more fitting beginning than by having recourse to your excellency, as to the head and chief of all, and treating you as alike adviser and commander in the enterprise. I have therefore determined to send to your reverence our brother Dorotheus the deacon, of the Church under the right honourable bishop Meletius, being one who at once is an energetic supporter of the orthodox faith, and is earnestly desirous of seeing the peace of the Churches. The results, I hope, will be, that, following your suggestions (which you are able to make with the less likelihood of failure, both from your age and your experience in affairs, and because you have a greater measure than all others of the aid of the Spirit), he may thus attempt the achievement of our objects. You will welcome him, I am sure, and will look upon him with friendly eyes. You will strengthen him by the help of your prayers; you will give him a letter as provision by the way; you will grant him, as companions, some of the good men and true that you have about you; so you will speed him on the road to what is before him. It has seemed to me to be desirable to send a letter to the bishop of Rome, begging him to examine our condition, and since there are difficulties in the way of representatives being sent from the West by a general synodical decree, to advise him to exercise his own personal authority in the matter by choosing suitable persons to sustain the labours of a journey — suitable, too, by gentleness and firmness of character, to correct the unruly among us here; able to speak with proper reserve and appropriateness, and thoroughly well acquainted with all that has been effected after Ariminum to undo the violent measures adopted there. I should advise that, without any one knowing anything about it, they should travel hither, attracting as little attention as possible, by the sea, with the object of escaping the notice of the enemies of peace. 2. A point also that is insisted upon by some of those in these parts, very necessarily, as is plain even to myself, is that they should drive away the heresy of Marcellus, as grievous and injurious and opposed to the sound faith. For up to this time, in all the letters which they write, they are constant in thoroughly anathematizing the ill-famed Arius and in repudiating him from the Churches. But they attach no blame to Marcellus, who propounded a heresy diametrically opposite to that of Arius, and impiously attacked the very existence of the Only begotten Godhead, and erroneously understood the term Word. He grants indeed that the Only begotten was called Word, on coming forth at need and in season, but states that He returned again to Him whence He had come forth, and had no existence before His coming forth, nor hypostasis after His return. The books in my possession which contain his unrighteous writings exist as a proof of what I say. Nevertheless they nowhere openly condemned him, and are to this extent culpable that, being from the first in ignorance of the truth, they received him into the communion of the Church. The present state of affairs makes it specially necessary that attention should be called to him, so that those who seek for their opportunity, may be prevented from getting it, from the fact of sound men being united to your holiness, and all who are lame in the true faith may be openly known; that so we may know who are on our side, and may not struggle, as in a night battle, without being able to distinguish between friends and foes. Only I do beseech you that the deacon, whom I have mentioned, be dispatched by the earliest possible packet, that at least some of the ends which we pray for may be accomplished during the ensuing year. One thing, however, even before I mention it, you quite understand and I am sure will give heed to, that, when they come, if God will, they must not let loose schisms among the Churches; and, even though they find some who have personal reasons for mutual differences, they must leave no means untried to unite all who are of the same way of thinking. For we are bound to regard the interests of peace as paramount, and that first of all attention be paid to the Church at Antioch, lest the sound portion of it grow diseased through division on personal grounds. But you will yourself give more complete attention to all these matters, so soon as, by the blessing of God, you find every one entrusting to you the responsibility of securing the peace of the Church.

[Πρός: Ἀθανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας] Ἣν ἐκ παλαιοῦ περὶ τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος ὑπόληψιν ἔσχομεν, ταύτην ὁ χρόνος προϊὼν ἀεὶ βεβαιοῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ συναύξει ταῖς προσθήκαις τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐπιγινομένων. ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων τοῖς πλείστοις ἐξαρκεῖ τὸ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστον περισκοπεῖν, σοὶ δὲ οὐχ ἱκανὸν τοῦτο, ἀλλʼ ἡ μέριμνά σοι πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοσαύτη, ὅση καὶ τῆς ἰδίως παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ Δεσπότου ἡμῶν ἐμπιστευθείσης ἐπίκειται· ὅς γε οὐδένα χρόνον διαλείπεις διαλεγόμενος, νουθετῶν, ἐπιστέλλων, ἐκπέμπων τινὰς ἑκάστοτε τοὺς ὑποτιθεμένους τὰ βέλτιστα. καὶ νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ πληρώματος τοῦ ὑπὸ σὲ κλήρου τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον ἀδελφὸν Πέτρον ἐκπεμφθέντα μετὰ πολλῆς χαρᾶς ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀποδημίας σκοπὸν ἀπεδεξάμεθα, ὃν ἐπιδείκνυται κατʼ ἐντολὰς τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, τὰ ἀντιτείνοντα προσαγόμενος, καὶ τὰ διεσπασμένα συνάπτων. ὅθεν τι καὶ ἡμεῖς συμβαλέσθαι τῇ περὶ τοῦτο σπουδῇ βουληθέντες, ἐνομίσαμεν ἐπιτηδειοτάτην ἀρχὴν τοῖς πράγμασι δώσειν, εἰ, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τῶν ὅλων, ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν ἀναδράμοιμεν τελειότητα, καὶ σοὶ συμβούλῳ τε χρησαίμεθα καὶ ἡγεμόνι τῶν πράξεων. ὅθεν καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Δωρόθεον, τὸν διάκονον τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν τιμιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Μελέτιον ἐκκλησίας, ἀγαθῷ κεχρημένον περὶ τὴν τῆς πίστεως ὀρθότητα ζήλῳ, καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦντα καὶ αὐτὸν τὴν εἰρήνην τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπιδεῖν, πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν ἀνεπέμψαμεν, ὥστε, ταῖς σαῖς ὑποθήκαις ἀκολουθοῦντα (ἃς καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων πείρᾳ, καὶ τῷ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔχειν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος συμβουλίαν, ἀσφαλεστέρας ποιεῖσθαι δύνασαι), οὕτως ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς σπουδαζομένοις. Ὃν καὶ ὑποδέξῃ δηλονότι, καὶ προσβλέψεις εἰρηνικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, στηρίξας τε αὐτὸν τῇ διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν βοηθείᾳ, καὶ ἐφοδιάσας γράμμασι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ παραζεύξας τινὰς τῶν αὐτόθεν σπουδαίων, ἐπὶ τὰ προκείμενα ὁδηγήσεις. ἐφάνη δὲ ἡμῖν ἀκόλουθον ἐπιστεῖλαι τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ῥώμης, ἐπισκέψασθαι τὰ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ δοῦναι γνώμην, ἵνʼ ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ κοινοῦ καὶ συνοδικοῦ δόγματος ἀποσταλῆναί τινας δύσκολον τῶν ἐκεῖθεν, αὐτὸν αὐθεντῆσαι περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἐκλεξάμενον ἄνδρας ἱκανοὺς μὲν ὁδοιπορίας πόνους ὑπενεγκεῖν, ἱκανοὺς δὲ πραότητι καὶ εὐτονίᾳ ἤθους τοὺς ἐνδιαστρόφους τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν νουθετῆσαι, ἐπιτηδείως δὲ καὶ οἰκονομικῶς κεχρημένους τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ πάντα ἔχοντας μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν τὰ μετὰ Ἀριμῖνον πεπραγμένα ἐπὶ λύσει τῶν κατʼ ἀνάγκην ἐκεῖ γενομένων· καὶ τοῦτο μηδενὸς εἰδότος, ἀψοφητὶ διὰ θαλάσσης ἐπιστῆναι τοῖς ὧδε, ὑπὲρ τοῦ φθάσαι τὴν αἴσθησιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς εἰρήνης. Ἐπιζητεῖται δὲ κἀκεῖνο παρά τινων τῶν ἐντεῦθεν, ἀναγκαίως, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῖς ἡμῖν καταφαίνεται, τὸν τὴν Μαρκέλλου αἵρεσιν αὐτοὺς ὡς χαλεπὴν καὶ βλαβερὰν καὶ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως ἀλλοτρίως ἔχουσαν, ἐξορίσαι. ἐπεὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐπιστέλλουσι γράμμασι, τὸν μὲν δυσώνυμον Ἄρειον ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἀναθεματίζοντες καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξορίζοντες οὐ διαλείπουσι, Μαρκέλλῳ δέ, τῷ κατὰ διάμετρον ἐκείνῳ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐπιδειξαμένῳ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ὕπαρξιν τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς θεότητος ἀσεβήσαντι καὶ κακῶς τὴν τοῦ Λόγου προσηγορίαν ἐκδεξαμένῳ, οὐδεμίαν μέμψιν ἐπενεγκόντες φαίνονται. ὃς Λόγον μὲν εἰρῆσθαι τὸν Μονογενῆ δίδωσι, κατὰ χρείαν καὶ ἐπὶ καιροῦ προελθόντα, πάλιν δὲ εἰς τὸν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθεν ἐπαναστρέψαντα, οὔτε πρὸ τῆς ἐξόδου εἶναι, οὔτε μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ὑφεστάναι. καὶ τούτου ἀπόδειξις αἱ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀποκείμεναι βίβλοι τῆς ἀδίκου ἐκείνης συγγραφῆς ὑπάρχουσιν. ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ διαβαλόντες ἐφάνησαν, καὶ ταῦτα αἰτίαν ἔχοντες ὡς, τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατʼ ἄγνοιαν τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ εἰς κοινωνίαν αὐτὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν παραδεξάμενοι. ἐκείνου τε οὖν μνησθῆναι πρεπόντως ἀπαιτεῖ τὰ παρόντα, ὥστε μὴ ἔχειν ἀφορμὴν τοὺς θέλοντας ἀφορμήν, ἐκ τοῦ τῇ σῇ ὁσιότητι συνάπτειν τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας καὶ τοὺς πρὸς τὴν ἀληθῆ πίστιν ὀκλάζοντας φανεροὺς πᾶσι ποιῆσαι· ὥστε τοῦ λοιποῦ γνωρίζειν ἡμᾶς τοὺς ὁμόφρονας, καὶ μή, ὡς ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ, μηδεμίαν φίλων καὶ πολεμίων ἔχειν διάκρισιν. μόνον παρακαλοῦμεν εὐθὺς ὑπὸ τὸν πρῶτον πλοῦν ἐκπεμφθῆναι τὸν προειρημένον διάκονον, ἵνα δυνηθῇ κατὰ γοῦν τὸ ἐφεξῆς ἔτος γενέσθαι τι, ὧν προσευχόμεθα. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων συνιεῖς τε αὐτὸς καὶ φροντιεῖς δηλονότι, ὅπως ἐπιστάντες, ἐὰν ὁ Θεὸς θέλῃ, μὴ ἐναφῶσι ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τὰ σχίσματα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντας παντὶ τρόπῳ εἰς ἕνωσιν συνελάσωσι, κἄν τινας ἰδίας τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφορῶν ἀφορμὰς εὕρωσιν ἔχοντας, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ τὸν ὀρθοδοξοῦντα λαὸν εἰς πολλὰ κατατέμνεσθαι μέρη τοῖς προεστῶσι συναφιστάμενον. πάντα γὰρ δεῖ σπουδάσαι δεύτερα ἡγήσασθαι τῆς εἰρήνης, καὶ πρὸ πάντων τῆς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν ἐκκλησίας ἐπιμεληθῆναι, ὡς μὴ ἀσθενεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν ὀρθὴν μερίδα περὶ τὰ πρόσωπα σχιζομένην. μᾶλλον δέ, τούτων ἁπάντων καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ὕστερον ἐπιμελήσῃ, ἐπειδάν, ὅπερ εὐχόμεθα, Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντός σοι, πάντας λάβῃς τὰ τῆς καταστάσεως τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπιτρέποντας.